Half to leonaed g



(NoM odeL) H I S. W, .ALWARD.

ROLLER S ATE.

N0.294,426. Patented-Mar; 4, 1884.1

' versant with such matters from the following the plane of the body, and the members of each UNI ED STA E ATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL \V. ALWVARD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO LEONARD G. ABBOTT, OF SAME PLACE.

ROLLER- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters S KATE.

Patent No. 294,426, dated March 4, 1884.

Application filed October 9, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. ALWARD, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Roller-Skates, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to .enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of a skate embodying my improvement; Fig. 2, a bottom plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 a vertical longitudinal section.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates especially to the class of skates known as roller-skates, and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, by which a more effective and desirable article of this character is produced than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conexplanation.

' In the drawings, A represents the body of the skate; B, the heel-iron; O, the ankle-strap, D, the foot-strap; E, the trucks or rollers; G, the axle; II, the axle-bar, and J the rocker. These parts, being all old and well known, are therefore not claimed herein-when in and of themselves considered.

The body of the skate is provided, in the usual manner, with a short flange, K, and long flange L, projecting downwardly at the heel, and with corresponding flanges, M N, at the toe, the flanges being respectively inclined to pair arranged in parallelism, as best seen in Fig. 3. A pin, P, secured by the nut m, passes through the outer ends of the heel-flanges K L, the rocker J for the rear pair of trucks being journaled thereon. A corresponding pin, Q, secured by the nut n, passes through the outer ends of the toe-flanges M N, on which the rocker for the forward pair of trucks is journaled. A stud, R, provided with a shoulder, Z, and nut f, projects downwardly from the center of the body A. The pin P is elongated and bent, as shown at i 1), its inner end being flattened and provided with aslot, 9, through which the outer end of the stud B passes, the pin Q being constructed and connected with said stud in substantially the samemanner, these elongated pins serving not only as journals for the rockers J, but, when their inner ends are secured to the stud R by the nut f, as a brace or truss to strengthen the body of ,the skate.

Arranged to slide freely between the flanges K L there is a box or holder, S, carrying an elastic cushion or piece of rubber, T and disposed beneath this box, and fitted to slide in a groove, h, in the body A, and in a groove, 2, in the bottom of the box S, there'is a V-shaped piece of metal or wedge, U, provided with a screw, 12, which is fitted to work in the long flange L. The toe-flanges M N are provided with a corresponding box, S, rubber cushion T, wedge U, and screw 12. The upper side of the rocker J, or that portion of the same which comes into contact with the rubber T, isflat,

the outer face of the rubber adjoining the rocker being also flat.

In skates of this character which are provided with rockers and elastic cushions, substantially as described, much difficulty'is experienced in taking up or compensating for the wear of the cushions, and also in readily changing the pressure on the rocker to keep the body of the skate in proper position with respect to the axle and trucks, when it is used by different persons, a heavy person requiring more tension or pressure on the rubber screws 1), and provided with holes (1, through which said screw may be readily inserted without interfering with said pins.

I do not confine myself to elongating the pins P Q, as described, to form a truss, as this feature may be omitted, or a truss of a different construction used. Neither do I confine myself to the use of the sliding box S and wedge U with skates having a metallic body, either with or without a truss, as they are equally well adapted to skates having wooden bodies, a proper bracket or holder for these parts and the rocker being attached to the bottom of the wood. Neither do I confine myself to making the cushion 'l of a single piece of rubber, as it may be made of sheets, or in several pieces, nor to constructing the part S for the rubber in the form of a box, as

- a slide or follower working between the rocker J and wedge U will perform substantially the same functions, although I deem a box preferable, as it prevents the undue expansion of the rubber laterally and improves the appearance of the skate by concealing the cushions.

Having thus explained my invent-ion, what I claim isl. In a roller-skate, the sliding box S, provided with the elastic cushion T, in combination with the rocker J and means for forcing said cushion against the rocker, substantially as set forth.

2. In a roller-skate, the combination of the following instrumcntalities, to wit: a pair of trucks, an axle for the trucks, a journaled rocker, a rubber cushion, a box or slide for the cushion, a wedge, proper ways for the slide and wedge, and a screw, the screw being adapt ed to force the box or slides against the cushion and the cushion against therocker, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a roller-skate, the trucks E, axle G, bar II, rocker J, pin 1?, cushion T, box S, wedge U, screw 1), and flanges K L, constructed, combined, and arranged to operate sub stantially as specified.

l. In a roller-skate, the pins P Q, respectively provided with the holes q, for inserting and removing the screws 12, substantially as specified.

SAMUEL \V. ALWARD.

\Vitnesses:

C. A. SHAW, L. J. \VHITE. 

